Posts: 784
From: Hamburg
Registered: Sep 2014

posted March 22, 2017 06:30 PM            

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I read the story of Absalom in the Bible the other day.
He dies hanging on a tree:

``so he was left hanging between heaven and earth.``
Samuel 18

This also cought my eye:
“I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.”

Samuel 18

I never tried interpreted the bible, but I think this verses have some deeper meaning.

why did he die in that way, between heaven and earth?
I don`t remember the Bible talking bad about him, the bible says he was good to the people, to everyone.

dose someone know to interprete the Bible?

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Posts: 8842
From: CA
Registered: Oct 2010

posted March 22, 2017 07:55 PM            

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I think "between heaven and earth" means in this case he died hanging in a tree (that is, it's to be taken literally). There's very little indication that they had any belief in an afterlife in the Old Testament days (rather, they seemed to think they'd be resurrected one day after God was done with this world, and those like Enoch taken before God didn't actually die, but was literally taken before God), let alone a complex one. Granted, the Bible is so contradictory (inevitable in its long span of being created, and then a lot of politicking on what gets included in the Bible and what gets left out) that one can find just about anything in it.

As for "keep my name in remembrance" that probably means no son to keep his line (to the Hebrews, it was all about male genetics, with women somewhere between livestock and human primarily intended to birth strong sons to fight and inherit).

As for studying it, the library should have some good reference books (check both their 200s and the reference shelves) that clarify what the passages meant at the time it was written, like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Strongs-Exhaustive-Concordance-Bible-Strong/dp/1598566938

Of course you can find some teacher, but there is no "one way" to understand the Bible (hence, so many denominations--that despite more than a thousand years of ruthless persecution and war between those who believed the Bible meant one thing instead of another--with many incompatible with each other in theology, doctrine, and even basic practices). They'll all say they're Biblical, but they all pick and choose what to include (and how to interpret its meaning and importance) and what to ignore, and it's the only way to do it given the Bible's contradictory nature. Even trained theologians debate on what it all means, and sometimes those theologians who argue bitterly with each other even belong to the same denomination. You'll just have to find one you're comfortable with, or you'll have to use the reference works at the library (perhaps with a lot of prayer) to try figuring it out for yourself.

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Posts: 10191
From: Blue Star Kachina
Registered: Apr 2009

posted March 23, 2017 07:34 AM            

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Moving to Divine Diversities.

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Partial truth~the seeds of wisdom~can be found in many places...The seeds of wisdom are contained in all scriptures ever written… especially in art, music, and poetry and, above all, in Nature.

Linda Goodman

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